Hario v60 Vs Chemex Featured Image

Hario V60 Vs Chemex: Which Brews Best?

Hario v60 Vs Chemex Featured Image

Hario V60 Vs Chemex: Which Brews Best?

Have you ever wondered what makes the two most well-known pour-over coffee brewers different from one another?

The Showdown: Hario V60 Vs Chemex

Hario V60 Vs Chemex Infographic

Pour-over coffee is widely considered the best way to experience the natural flavor of coffee. 

It’s a method that brings clarity of body and flavor from the coffee bean to your cup. Here, we compare two well-known pour-over coffee maker models head-to-head: the Hario V60 Vs the Chemex.

The Chemex and Hario V60 are popular choices for making pour-over coffee at home. 

These coffee-making devices are great options for people whose standard morning coffee routine still involves using the same drip coffee machine their parents used.

How do they differ from one another, and which is better? You can decide which one best meets your needs after reading this comparison of the two.

Overview of Hario V60

Hario V60

A powerful Japanese alternative, the Hario V60 gets its name from the perfect 60-degree angle of its cone, and the word Hario means ‘King of Glass.’ It is that powerful.

 The V60 comes in many materials, including glass, stainless steel, ceramic, copper, and plastic, and has a unique wavy design that directs water for better drainage.

If you’ve ever made pour-over coffee, you know the basics of using the Hario V60. To brew with the V60, rest the dripper in a cup or carafe and place a special green filter in the cone.

Add a scoop or two of medium-fine coffee grounds and pour the water in circles over the coffee. Turn off the V60 and discard the filter when your cup runs out of coffee.

Specifications

  • Brand: Hario
  • Capacity: 300 Milliliters
  • Color: White
  • Material: Ceramic
  • Filter Type: Paper
  • Style: Coffee Maker
  • Product Dimensions: 4.7″D x 5.5″W x 4″H
  • Item Weight: 1.07 Pounds
  • Special Feature: Manual

Features

1) A grind that is too coarse, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can create insufficient pressure for a proper brew.
2) The amount of espresso extracted will vary depending on the size and quantity of the grind and may require reprogramming when adjusting the size and quantity.
3) Specially made to make a cup of coffee brewed evenly. Durable Japanese ceramic retains heat to maintain temperature throughout the heat generation cycle. 
4) Minimalists look to suit any kitchen design or style. The specialized cone shape and unique spiral ridges allow for a deeper layer of coffee grounds, creating a richer umami flavor.
5) The V60 features a single large hole, improving pour flow and allowing users to pour water quickly for a lighter flavor or slower for a richer, deeper flavor. Accents coffee better with floral or fruity flavor notes.
6) These ceramic drippers are made from Arita-yaki, a traditional style of Japanese ceramics with a rich history of 400 years. Each Hario poured over the dripper is handmade by a local craftsman in Japan.

Pros

  • Well-designed and compact.
  • Many materials are available.
  • Easy to clean.
  • Clean, smooth coffee.

Cons

  • Special paper filters are required.
  • It takes much work to make for a crowd.
  • Getting it perfect can be tricky.

Ratings: 4.8 (Out of 5)

Overview of Chemex

Chemex

Chemex is an hourglass-shaped pour-over. It is made of tempered borosilicate glass with a wooden handle and a rawhide tie. This 1940s brewer is so elegant and stylish that it’s been displayed in modern art museums for decades.

To brew with Chemex, place a Chemex-brand filter in the top half of the carafe and fill it with medium-coarse coffee grounds. Then you pour water into the base circle, covering them evenly.

Coffee drips into the bottom half of the carafe. When you’re done brewing, you take the filter and grounds off the top, and your coffee is ready to serve in a beautiful carafe.

Specifications

  • Brand: Chemex
  • Capacity: 900 Milliliters
  • Color: Clear
  • Coffee Maker Type: Pour Over
  • Material: Borosilicate Glass
  • Filter Type: Reusable
  • Style: Classic
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4″D x 9.7″W x 0.7″H
  • Special Feature: Dishwasher Safe

Features

1) A timeless, attractive style that is simple and simple to use.
2) All Chemex coffeemakers are made of the highest quality, non-porous borosilicate glass that will not absorb odors or chemical residue.
3) Due to the revolutionary CHEMEX pour-over design, coffee can be covered and chilled without flavor deterioration.
4) All Chemex coffeemakers are measured using 5 oz. As 1 cup.
5) Use Chemex bonded filters FP-1, FC-100, FS-100, FSU-100, filter not included.

Pros

  • Elegant, stylish design.
  • Doubles as a carafe.
  • Can brew up to 10 cups.
  • Complex, clean coffee.
  • Strong borosilicate glass with wooden handle.
  • Dishwasher- and stovetop-safe.

Cons

  • A bit expensive.
  • Cleaning can be difficult.
  • Special paper filters are required.
  • Not very portable.

Ratings: 4.8 (Out of 5)

What’s the Difference Between Chemex and Hario V60?

Grind Size

Chemex vs. Hario V60 is a well-known debate among coffee enthusiasts. A major difference between the Chemex and the V60 is the grind size for the coffee beans

The Chemex is designed for a medium-coarse grind but is quite forgiving if the grind is a bit fine or coarse. The V60 grinds a lot to tell how the coffee turns out. A fine grind and a slow pour make strong coffee; a medium grind with a fast pour makes a weak cup.

Funnel Design

The Hario V60 has the inside of the cone or groove that you don’t see on the Chemex. They create some separation between the wet filter and the cone wall. That allows the brewed coffee to exit past the filter and flow nicely down the funnel.

Chemex doesn’t offer this route for coffee. Instead, the coffee adheres to the narrow space between the filter and the funnel, and most of it escapes through the bottom of the funnel. 

Both brewers’ exit holes are much larger than other pour-over devices, so grind size and pour rate are key factors when you brew.

Filters

Both devices use paper filters of different thicknesses. The Chemex’s coarse filter doesn’t let any sediment through, making the brew cleaner than the V60 (which is still pretty clean). V60 filters are generally easier to find.

Variety of Sizes

The Hario V60 is designed to brew one or two perfect cups of coffee at a time. Chemex comes in various sizes, from three cups to 13 cups.

Pricing 

There are several models of Hario V60 available, some of which are very cheap.

Chemex, on the other hand, is a slightly more expensive option. While it doesn’t clean your wallet like an espresso machine, it’s not the cheapest product on the market.

If you want a more suitable option for having a great cup of coffee at home at ease, you can read our reviews on the Best Coffee Grinder for Moka Pot.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Words

While each brewing method has advantages and disadvantages of its own, there isn’t a true winner between the Chemex and the Hario V60.

Suppose you like to brew small amounts of coffee, experiment with pouring techniques and notice subtle changes. In that case, the Hario V60 might be a good bet. With the Hario V60, every brewing iteration is ever so slightly different.

Chemex allows you to manufacture more cups and provides a more consistent yield. It is a wonderfully elegant piece that can enhance the aesthetics of any room or kitchen.

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